Suction cleaner



Oct. 3,' 1 933. H. E. HOOVER 3 sum-Ion CLEANER v Filed May 31, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l W liawaz'd Ejffaovez".

Oc 3, 1933- Q H. E. HOOVER sucwlou CLEANER Filed May 31, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 o -v H. E. HOOVER 1,928,937

SUCTION CLEANER Filed May 31, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER corporation of Ohio Application May 31, 1930. Serial No. 458,439 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-13) The present invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to suction 'cleaner agitating means. It has been the experience of manufacturers of suction cleaners that in the straight air machine, that is, a machine which is unprovided with positive agitating means, the cleaning efliciency of the cleaner is relatively low. The relatively low efliciency of this. type of cleaner is attributed to the fact that the foreign matter in the surface covering undergoing cleaning which is embedded and packed at the base of said covering is not removed. The straight air cleaner is effective in removing the foreign matter which is deposited upon the surface or which is positioned slightly therein, but, due to the absence of positive agitation, the foreign matter at the base of said covering is not loosened and the cleaning air is unable to dislodge same. The desirability of more eflicient suction cleaners has led to the incorporation in their structure of positive agitation means, that is, means which disturb, vibrate, flex or beat the covering undergoing cleaning resulting in the dislodgement of embedded foreign matter so that said matter may be removed by the cleaning air which rushes into the nozzle. Study of the action of positive agitator cleaners has disclosed the further desirability of positioning the point of agitation as near the point at which cleaning by the inrushing air takes place as is possible. The theoretical point of maximum efficiency is with the point of agitation and the point of cleaning effect by the cleaning air coinciding, The present invention incorporates in its structure, by a new and novel arrangement of parts, the advantages of coincidence of the point of agitation and the point at which the cleaning air is effective.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide new and novel "agitating means in suction cleaners which result in greater cleaning efliciency than has heretofore been possible. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel suction cleaner construction. It is a still further object to provide a cleaner construction which agitates the surface covering at the point at which the cleaning air is effective. It is a still further'object of the invention to provide a positively actuated agitating nozzle. Other and more specific objects of the invention will appear upon the reading of r the following specification and claims, reference being had to the drawings attached thereto.

Referring now to the drawings in which the same reference character indicates like parts in all the views:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a partial front view of the cleaner disclosed in Fig. 1 with certain parts removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of means for mounting the nozzle on the fan casing which permits the removal of the nozzle therefrom.

Fig. 4' is a view of the construction shown in Fig. 3, upon the line 4-4.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the dusting tool convertor adapted for use with the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a further modification of the nozzle mounting construction permitting the use of a dusting tool without the removal of the nozzle.

Fig. 7 is a front view of a disclosure of Fig. 6 upon the line 77.

'Fig. 8 is a cross section of the dusting tool converter for use in the modification shown in Fig. 6 and is taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a front view of the converter shown in Fig. 8,

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 in particular. the present invention is shown and comprises a suction cleaner, indicated generally by the reference character 1, which includes the usual motor casing 2 which contains a driving motor, not shown, the fan chamber 3 housing the fan 4, and the nozzle 5; the entire construction being supported on the surface undergoing cleaning by means of the front supporting wheels 6, of which only one is shown, and the rear supporting wheel 7. The handle bail 8 is shown pivotally attached to the motor casingfor the purpose of moving the cleaner, as in the ordinary cleaner construction. The parts described comprise the usual parts in the ordinary suction cleaner and are described that applicant's invention may be clearly understood.

The nozzle, indicated by the reference character 5, is movably mounted upon the fan casing 3 by the flexible coupling 9 of resilient material such as rubber and which is secured to the end of the nozzle by means of a clamp 10 and to the fan chamber by means of a coupling ring 11 which is secured in place by means of rivets 12, 12. The motor shaft 13 extends from the motor within the motor casing 2, through the fan chamber 3, and slightly past the eye of said chamber. Rotatably supported in the nozzle 5,

- in substantial alinement with the motor shaft 1.3, is the shaft 14 carried by the bearing 15. Driving relation between the shafts 13 and 14 is secured by the flexible spring 16 which is fixedly held at its ends relative to the shafts 13 and 14 through being threaded into openings 17 and 18 in the respective shafts. Carried by the shaft 14 and rotatable therewith is an unbalanced disk 19 whose center of gravity does not coincide with the axis of rotation of the shaft 14. Positioned upon the nozzle 5 at the mouth thereof are the narrow-pile-penetrating lips 20 and 21. The usual furniture guard 22, made of a rubberized material, is positioned around the lower end of the nozzle.

In the operation of the cleaner'constructed in accordance with the present invention the rotation of the motor revolves the fan 4 in the fan chamber 3 as in the ordinary suction cleaner. The fan functions to draw air under the lips 20 and 21 into and through the nozzle 5 into the fan chamber 3 and exhausts same therefrom at the fan chamber outlet, which is not shown in the drawings. The shaft 14, being positively connected to the motor shaft 13, rotates therewith as does the unbalanced disk 19 which, because of its unbalanced mass, imparts a high frequency shaking or vibratory effect to the nozzle 5.

.As the nozzle 5 is movably or flexibly mounted relative to the fan chamber 3, and so to the rest of the chamber, the vibration of the nozzle is unaffected by the inertia of those parts.

As the cleaner passes over the surface covering undergoing cleaning the covering is lifted from the supporting surface and into contact with the nozzle lips 20 and 21. In the ordinary cleaner construction these lips, being of a width approximating thatof the nozzle wall, would merely slde over the surface of said covering and the cleaning effect would be due entirely to the cleaning power of the inrushing air under said lips in gaining entrance to said nozzle. In the present construction however, as the cleaner passes over the surface undergoing cleaning the covering is lifted aganst the nozzle lips and, as said lips are vibrated by the action of the unbalanced disk 19, the pile of the surface covering contacting said lips is agitated and flexed. The penetrating lips 20 and 21 because of their narrow width, extend into the covering and between the adjacent .rows of pile and adjacent tufts of an individual row of pile and permit the air passing under said lips to gain access to the base of the surface covering at the exact point of agitation. The flexing of the pile by the penetrating nozzle lips together with the vibration of the surface covering by the nozzle vibration'serves to loosen the embedded particles of foreign matter and makes possible their removal by the cleaning air passing under the nozzle lips.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 in particular a modifled form of flexible nozzle mounting means for the present invention is disclosed. The wall of the fan chamber 3 is shown provided with openings 24, 24 which are positioned on opposite sides of the fan eye. The nozzle 5 has secured to its end the flexible coupling 9 by means I of a coupling clamp 10. At the end of the flexible coupling 9 and spaced from the nozzle 5 are a pair of flanges 25 and 26 between which that end of said coupling is clamped. The clamping relation of the flanges 25 and 26 is obtained by means of screws 27. Extending from the face of the flange 26 are projecting lugs 28, 28 adapted to seat within the openings'24, 24 in the fan chamber 3 and prevent relative angular movement between said flanges and said fan chamber. Flanges 25 and 26 are clamped to the surface of the fan chamber 3 by means of cam members 29, 29 secured to the face of said chamber as shown in Fig. 4.

In order that the nozzle may be removed from its position on the cleaner it is necessary that means be provided for disengaging the shaft which carries the unbalanced disk and the motor shaft. The modified construction permitting this removal, as shown in Fig. 3., comprises an intermediate shaft member 30 positioned between the ends of the motor shaft 13 and the diskcarrying shaft 14 and which is flexibly connected to the shaft 14 in driving relation by means of the spring 16. The driving relation between the shaft 30 and the shaft 13 is obtained by means of a groove and shoulder relation, a groove 31 being positioned in the end of the shaft 13 and a shoulder 32 on the end of shaft 30. Alinement-of shafts 13 and 30 in operative relation is maintained by the housing 33 carried by the shaft 30, and secured thereon by means of a bolt 34, which is adapted to inclose the end of shaft 13. I

The removal of the nozzle in the modification disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4 is accomplished by the turning of the cam members'29, 29 permitting the axial movement of the nozzle relative to the fan chamber and the withdrawal of the positioning lugs 28, 28 from the seats 24, 24. The shafts 14 and 30 being supported by the nozzle through the bushing 15 are removed with the nozzle, the shaft 30 separating at its end from the no motor shaft 13.

Fig. 5 discloses a side view of a dusting tool convertor provided with a contacting face 35 from which extend lugs 36, 36 which are adapted to co-act with the openings 24, 24 in the fan chamber of the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4when the nozzle has been removed. The positioning of the dusting tool convertor is a simple operation requiring merely the removal of the nozzle 5, as aforedescribed, and the positioning of the convertor unit disclosed in Fig. 5 in its. place and the securing thereof by means of the cam members 29.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 in particular, a still further modified form of the nozzle connection to the fan chamber is disclosed. The modification here disclosed is designed with a view to the use of dusting tools without the removal of the nozzle itself. The fan chamber is indicated by the reference character 3 and is provided with a cylindrical projecting portion 3'7 which is provided with a bearing member 38 providing support for the end of the motor shaft 13 which has been extended through the eye of the fan chamber proper. The portion 37 is provided with a removable arcuate section 39 which is held in place by the spring-pressed detent 40 and which is transversely removable upon the withdrawal of the detent from its seat 41 therein. With the section 39 withdrawn a seat is provided in the portion 37 in which the dusting tool converter 42, shown in Figs. 8 and 9, is adapted to be positioned. The dusting tool converter anced disk, being driven by the motor shaft 13' support of said shaft.

The nozzle 5in the present modification is flexibly connected. to the end of the cylindrical portion 37 of the fan chamber 3 by means of the flexible coupling 9 which is clamped at its nozzle end by the clamp 10 at its machine end by the clamp 46. The nozzle, being permanently connected is vibrated when the dusting tools are being used, the shaft 14 which carries the unbalthrough the flexible spring 16 as in the other modifications.

From the foregoing it is clear that a new and novel suction cleaner has been provided in which increased cleaning eillciency is made possible through the incorporation in the design of new and novel agitating means which provides positive agitation at the point of eflectiveness of the cleaning air. The cleaner as disclomd is so constructed that it is adapted to the use of dusting tool without modification in the characteristic features of the novel design. V I claim: a

1'. In a suction cleaner, a body, a main nozzle movably connected to said body, pile-penetrating nozzle lips adapted to extend between adjacent rows and adjacent tufts of pile positioned upon said main nozzle, and means to actuate said nozzle and nozzle lips relative to the body of the cleaner.

2. In a suction cleaner, a driving motor, a body,

a nozzlemovably mounted on said body, and vibrating means driven by said motor to vibrate said nozzle, said means comprising a rotatable unbalanced mass carried by said nozzle, and

means connecting said mass to said motor.

3. In .a suction cleaner comprising a driving motor and a fan chamber, a drive shaft extending from said motor into said fan chamber, a fan positioned upon said shaft within said fan chamber, a suction nozzle operatively and movably connected to said fan chamber, a rotatable shaft within said nozzle, vibration-producing means connected to said rotatable shaft positioned in said nozzle, and means connecting said drive shaft and said rotatable shaft. I

4. In a suction cleaner comprising a driving motor-and a fan chamber, a drive shaft extending into said fan chamber, a fan positioned upon said drive shaft within said chamber, 'a auction q nozzle operatively and movably connected to saidlfan chamber and providing an inlet thereto, a. rotatable unbalanced mass mounted on said nozzle, said unbalanced mass adapted to vibrate said nozzle upon being rotated, and means connecting said drive shaft to said rotatable mass.

5. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a rotary driving motor operatively-connected to saidmeans, a suction nozzle operatively connected to and movablymounted relative to said suction-creating means, all vibratory means being mounted solely on said nozzle, and rotatable means connecting said vibratory means to said motor.

6. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a driving motor operatively connected to said means, a suction nozzle operatively connected to and movably mounted relative to said suction-creating means, vibratory means mounted on said nozzle, and means including a shocksupporting said body, suction-creatingmeans in said body, a surface-contacting nozzle movably l supportedby said body above the normal plane of a surface covering undergoing cleaning, said nozzle being free for limited movement in all directions at its surface-contacting end, and vibrating means to actuate said nozzle in a multi- 1 plicity of directions. a

8. In a suction cleaner, a driving motor having a shaft, a fan casing adjacent said motor, the said shaft extended therein, a fan on said shaft in said casing, said fan casing having an inlet, 1 a suction nozzle movably mounted on said casing and open to said inlet, a rotatable shaft in said nozzle in substantial alinement with said motor shaft, vibration-creating means mounted on saidrotatable shaft, and vibration-absorbing means 1 connecting said rotatable shaft to said motor shaft.

9. In a suction cleaner, a body, means movably supporting said body, suction-creating means in said body, a nozzle carried by said body, surface- 'contacting lips on said nozzle above the normal 

